Pisum sativum 'Delikata'
pea (mangetout) 'Delikata'
A mangetout pea variety, growing to about 1.3m high, with long, stout, crisp, bright green, edible pods, that can be picked over a long season from early summer to autumn; if the pods are left to ripen they can also be shelled for sweet, wrinkled peas. Peas are nitrogen-fixing annuals, climbing by tendrils up to 2m high, with pinnate leaves of up to eight glaucous, rounded elliptic to oblong leaflets, up to 7cm long, and usually white flowers up to 3cm long, in summer, followed by round, green, edible, protein-rich seeds, in long cyclindrical pods from summer until the first frosts; the pods as well as the seeds of sugarsnap varieties are also edible, as are the flattened pods of mangetout varieties; the young shoots and leaves are also edible.
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Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White | Green | Green | |
| Autumn | White | Green | Green | |
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H2Botanical details
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Climbing
- Genus
A very small genus of annual, flowering plants from legume family. Native to SW Asia and NE Africa, species P. sativum is widely cultivated for food. Hollow. Climbing or trailing stems bear compound leaves and tendrils. Flowers are butterfly-shaped, 1-3 per stalk. The fruit is a pod
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Sow seed from early spring, once the soil is warm, to early summer, in a double row at about 7cm spacings in a flat-bottomed drill 5cm deep and 15cm wide, in full sun in well-drained but humus-rich, moisture-retentive, preferably near-neutral soil, provide support such as twiggy hazel sticks, trellis or netting, and pick pods regularly to ensure a continuous crop; for more advice, see pea cultivation See https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/trials-awards
Propagation
Propagate by seed sown 5cm deep, from early spring to early summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Flower borders and beds
- Wall side borders
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to pea moth, aphids, pea and bean weevil, pea thrips, pigeons, slugs and snails and mice
Diseases
Peas may be affected by powdery mildews, and by downy mildews, foot and root rot, Fusarium wilt, grey moulds, pea leaf and pod spot, and virus diseases; 'Delikata' is said to have good disease resistance
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